Protecting Wild Cat Habitat

We operated the protection of the reserves without encountering significant problems or challenges in this period, which tends to be the most problematic due to low water levels and forest fires. We had a presence in all the reserves, where the reality is conservation, so it is clear to us that the activities we carry out, interacting with neighbors and local authorities has consolidated an effective scheme for their protection. Now it is a matter of keeping it that way and adding protection to the surrounding forests, which is happening with the properties in the Carbon Balanced Program of the World Land Trust and those that joined the new project with the Government of the State of Querétaro and the Querétaro Low Carbon Emissions Seal. Now our neighbors have a real and substantial income for protecting their forests, which mitigate CO2 emissions from their natural regeneration, without interventions and allowing nature to heal itself.

The month of April brought some fires in the Sierra Gorda, but none of them affected the reserves and the month of May was anomalous; it brought significant and unseasonal rains which eliminated the threat of fires, and then June arrived with a prolonged heat wave and extreme temperatures with the worst heat wave ever recorded in Mexico, so we decided to extend for an additional month, with GESG's own resources to the brigade funded by the WLT. Fortunately, despite the brutal temperatures, no fires occurred, although for the first time we recorded magnolias damaged by the high temperatures and drought, being naturally a species with a particularly delicate and narrow ecological niche, growing in the shady and humid environments of cloud forests. Although they did not die, they could not withstand the extreme parameters of dryness and heat, causing concern about their condition and survival in the future.

Fortunately, during last week's tour and with the few rains of the first half of August, the damaged magnolias have tender buds and this allows us to see that they are recovering despite the damage suffered, which makes us very happy and means that they survived such an ordeal.

And once again we had the generous contribution of primary school students from the International School of Queretaro, as their teacher, Ms. Yeetlih Gomez, contacted us again and offered a new donation from her students, to whom we suggested the purchase of vibora gaiters, an important element of protection. During the maintenance activities and opening of gaps they found several poisonous snakes (rattlesnakes, nauyacas, metapilas) so the brigadistas commented on the possibility of having them.
The students ordered the model I suggested online and sent it directly to our offices. They were delivered to the brigadistas, who were obviously very happy and grateful.

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• GlobalGivingAgosto2023_en_2.docx (DOCX)

Although several fires have already occurred in the Sierra Gorda, none have become major fires, and none have affected any of the reserves. After a wet quarter at the end of 2022, 2023 brought unusually high temperatures and a scarcity of cold fronts, making much of the Sierra Gorda with a high probability of forest fires.

 In the reserves we have had no incidents outside of the routine (inspection tours) or with neighboring properties and beneficiaries of CO2 payments, where we maintained a continuous presence. The constant is conservation and the contrast between the reserves and properties under CO2 payments, and the environmental degradation that prevails in the surrounding areas, where extensive cattle ranching and the resulting deforestation and burning are a constant. During this period, the beneficiaries complied with the terms of the contracts and their forests were not under any circumstances subject to cattle ranching or timber extraction.

 We received Dr. Othón Alcántara and his team from the Institute of Biology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, who have initiated a study on the genetic diversity of one of the Magnolia species (Magnolia rzedowskiana) and the health of its populations. In this first visit, they collected pieces of the leaves, to later study them in the laboratory and find out the health and genetic diversity of the leaves.

In a later visit, we found 25 territorial marks freshly made by a puma the night before, which is always an encouragement and proof of the extent of protection. As well as the Magnolias awakening from their winter dormancy and putting on new leaves.

 And we had the great pleasure of recording for the first time a pair of Tamaulipan Tecolote (Glaucidium sanchezi) endemic to a sector of the Sierra Madre Oriental, of which we suspected its presence but did not know. We are proud to protect its habitat in the Sierra Gorda.

 Also, with the arrival of March, we reactivated our brigade with Abel Reséndiz once again as Brigade Chief, with basically the same members as last year (this is noteworthy, as they withstood the pressure and long days during the fire in the Cerro Prieto reserve), renewing equipment and starting with the maintenance of the firebreaks opened in previous years. And we had the generous contribution of elementary students from the International School of Queretaro to whom Roberto Pedraza gave a talk on the biodiversity of the Sierra Gorda and the effects of fire on it. Yeetlih Gomez organized a collection to support firefighting and bought 10 backpacks, which were given to our brigadistas.

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 Aunque ya se han presentado varios incendios en la Sierra Gorda, ninguno ha pasado a mayores y no han afectado a alguna de las reservas. Luego de un trimestre con humedad a finales de 2022, el 2023 trajo temperaturas inusualmente altas y una escasez de frentes fríos, por lo que mucho de la Sierra Gorda con una alta probabilidad de incendios forestales.

En las reservas no hemos tenido incidentes fuera de lo rutinario (recorridos de inspección) o con los predios vecinos y beneficiarios de los pagos por CO2, donde mantuvimos presencia continua. La constante es la conservación y el contraste entre las reservas y predios bajo los pagos de CO2, y la degradación ambiental que impera en las áreas aledañas, donde la ganadería extensiva y los desmontes y quemas que acarrea son la constante. En este periodo los beneficiarios acataron los términos de los contratos y sus bosques en ningún caso tuvieron la presencia de ganado o la extracción de madera.

Recibimos al Dr. Othón Alcántara y su equipo de trabajo del Instituto de Biología de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, quienes han iniciado un estudio sobre la diversidad genética de una de las especies de Magnolia (Magnolia rzedowskiana) y la salud de sus poblaciones. En esta primera visita colectaron trozos de las hojas, para después estudiarlos en laboratorio y encontrar la salud y diversidad genética de las mismas.

En recorrido posterior, encontramos 25 marcas territoriales recién hechas por un puma la noche anterior, lo que siempre es un aliciente y prueba del alcance de la protección. Así como las Magnolias despertando de su letargo invernal y vistiéndose con hojas nuevas.

 Y tuvimos el enorme gusto de registrar por primera ocasión a una pareja del Tecolote Tamaulipeco (Glaucidium sanchezi) endémico a un sector de la Sierra Madre Oriental, del cual sospechábamos su presencia, pero no nos constaba. Un orgullo proteger sus hábitats en la Sierra Gorda.

 También con la llegada de marzo, reactivamos a nuestra brigada con una vez más Abel Reséndiz como Jefe de Brigada, con básicamente los mismos integrantes del año pasado (esto es de destacar, pues aguantaron la presión y largas jornadas durante el incendio en la reserva del Cerro Prieto), renovando equipo y comenzando ellos con el mantenimiento de las brechas corta fuego abiertas en años anteriores. Y tuvimos el generoso aporte de alumnos de primaria de la International School of Queretaro, a quienes Roberto Pedraza ofreció una plática sobre la biodiversidad de la Sierra Gorda y los efectos del fuego en la misma. Luego de ello, los mismos con el apoyo de su profesora, la Lic. Yeetlih Gomez organizaron una colecta para apoyar al combate del fuego y compraron 10 mochilas, que fueron entregadas a nuestros brigadistas.

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